eat – move – cook – explore

Tag Archives: Easy Recipe

This week has been flying by, not that I’m complaining or anything! We’re just that much closer to the weekend. The weather is beautiful in the evenings, making it easier to convince D to go on pre-dinner walks. I am so thankful for the nice weather and love seeing all of the fall decor go up. I think I may need to do a little front door craft this weekend. I would love ideas if you have them??

Although it’s just now Thursday, D and I have managed to get today’s recipe in 3 times so far. Sooooo, that’s every night! That goes to show how delicious it is, and proves that you should make it tonight. Like, right now. So, here we go!

May I introduce you to Bananas Foster Impostor. Let me tell ya, this is one sneaky little dish. While the original is full of butter, cream, and brown sugar (and is quite delicious), this version has none of the above. It has 6 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes.

Start by slicing 3 bananas lengthwise. I used 6 baby bananas because they needed to be eaten, but either will work. Lay the bananas in a non-stick sprayed skillet over med-high heat. You’re going to brown the bananas and let them start to caramelize a bit. I like mine to get quite a bit of color.

While they are working, mix together 1/2 cup hot water, 1/3 cup honey, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla in a separate bowl.

Once the bananas have caramelized on both sides, add the honey/water mixture to the skillet and let boil for a few minutes.

Once the mixture thickens, turn off heat and add about 1 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Ta-da. That’s it. You’re done.

Of course this would be lovely with a big ol’ bowl of vanilla ice cream, or maybe even some homemade whipped cream, but that wouldn’t really make sense after cutting all of the butter, cream, and sugar out of the bananas, would it? So, the next best thing is to pile them high on top of some vanilla yogurt. I used greek yogurt and it was delish. But you can eat them on whatever you want, or heck, even by themselves!

On another note, I did yoga for the first time yesterday. I usually stretch as I’m supposed to, but haven’t ever gotten on the yoga train. But ever since my 6 miler on Sunday, my body has been really fatigued and kind of sore. So yesterday I did a Jillian Michaels 35 minute video, and I loved it. It was waaay harder than I anticipated, and I felt like a million bucks afterward. What I loved most about this particular video was that it was fast paced. You never held a position for more than 15 seconds, which is good for my attention span. I’ll be doing this weekly from here on out. 🙂

I don’t know about you all, but I love breakfast. I am most definitely not one of those people that can just skip over it as if weren’t there for a purpose. Coffee and breakfast, then we can talk. 🙂

It seems like most people like the idea of something quick and easy to eat on the go, which makes sense. D’s day starts at about 5:30 so he grabs his breakfast to eat at the office, proclaiming “it’s too early to eat.” Rather than having him buy his breakfast at work, I try to have something on hand for him. It used to be these butter and sugar packed little granola bars, but he said he wanted something different and lighter. I have tried a few recipes and altered them to his taste, but no dice. Until now.

Chewy Cranberry Oat Bars have done the trick. They aren’t sugar or fat free, but there’s no butter and the they’re full of oats! Win.

My sophomore year in college I started getting interested in health and fitness, largely attributed to a little weight gain. I mean, an all you can eat meal plan, no sleep, too much sleep, etc…sheesh! Losing weight and getting healthy was a slow process I established by setting small goals along the way. I’ve kicked a ton of bad habits, but one habit that was hanging on until recently was artificial sweeteners, sucralose to be specific. I found myself using it so often, mainly in coffee. I’d use a huge scoop of sucralose, and then a tablespoon of syrup, sweetened by (drumrolllllll, please!) SUCRALOSE! 😉 I know, horrible. It can totally wreck your GI tract, screw with your metabolism and confuse your body. Here recently, I threw it all out.

After a few conversations and research, I decided it is totally NOT worth it. And I really don’t miss it. I am totally fine with scaling back on quantities, and consuming real sugar. The body appreciates it, too. So, if you’re still hooked on artificial sweeteners, check out these links below, and see if you change your mind. I’m not saying what’s best for me is best for everyone. . .make your own, educated decision. 🙂

So, now that I don’t get to use my Sugar-Free coffee syrup, I decided to whip up my own batch of the real stuff. Let me tell ya, if I would have had this recipe before now, I would have kicked those sweeteners a looooong time ago. This stuff is serious.

It takes about 3 steps and 4 ingredients. So easy!

Take 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup UNPACKED brown sugar, 1-2 TBSP good vanilla, and 1 generous cup water. Throw all of that into a small saucepan and stir it up.

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Once boiling, turn to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Once the liquid has reduced by about a third, remove from heat and let cool. That’s it! If you put it in unique bottles and jars, it would make a great homemade Christmas gift. Put in a basket with some coffee and a cute mug. . .easy, easy!

Homemade Vanilla Syrup

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unpacked brown sugar

1-2 TBSP good vanilla

1 generous cup water

1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool!. 🙂

All of the fruit we bought at the fruit stands is beyond ripe and juicy. Being the frugal folks we are, I decided to give it all a chop and make the easiest fruit salad ever. The fruit I used worked great, but keep in mind you can use almost whatever you want

It’s full of baby bananas, strawberries, peaches, and dark cherries.

Slice up about 4-6 baby bananas.

Then slice your strawberries. You can use a knife, of course. Or you can use this bad boy here and make quick work of it.

Now slice your peaches, and pit your cherries.

Throw all of that into a bowl, and add 1 1/2 TBSP of vanilla extract or vanilla syrup.

Give it a toss and enjoy! I ate mine with a bit of greek yogurt. Made for a great breakfast.

What is your favorite go-to summer salad?

– I love this salad when I want to settle my sweet tooth, but ultimately, I love this one. So good, and full of all sorts of textures and flavors. 🙂